CareerChoice:Hotel and Hospitality Management

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Latest revision as of 09:51, 31 May 2009

Contents

Introduction

The country's rapidly growing economy has led to a remarkable growth in the tourism sector. In line with this growth, the hotel industry has flourished and thus, the demand for human resources specializing in hotel management has increased as well. While some hotel owners would gladly employ just any individual willing to be trained, the bigger and better star hotels only consider those who are specialized in their own hotel management related field. For this reason, more and more students are beginning to take up hotel management in hopes to build a successful career in the industry.

In a general sense, hotel management as a course may sound fairly simple. However, taking into consideration the number of specializations in this field of work, it would be important for one to really decide on which field to focus on. Although dozens of career prospects are available in hotel management, the more common ones include Catering Management, Housekeeping, and Front Office Management.

Nature of Work

Graduates of hotel management may end up filling positions of general hotel managers or assistant managers. The roles of these two are very significant because not only should they serve as leaders of the number of workers employed by the hotel but also ensure that all the hotel's guests enjoy a pleasant and comfortable stay.

The role of general managers becomes increasingly important as they work with the hotel's owners and directors to foresee income and expenditures by setting room rates and budgets. They must also establish the hotel's identity in terms of the kind of service that they are able to provide. To help them fulfill their roles, general managers are able to delegate tasks to assistant managers that often exist for every department. These assistant managers are more hands on when it comes to each department's daily operations and they must ensure that the standards set by the owners and directors as well as that of the general manager are always met.

Managers of each department will also serve varying functions and will take responsibility for all the levels of employment in their departments.

Food and Beverage: The food and beverage manager is responsible for all operations under the Catering Department. Here, the food and beverage manager leads all employees under both the culinary section and the steward section. Under the culinary section, the Executive Chef who is in charge of all kitchen activities answers directly to the food and beverage manager. This section is composed of all employees who work in the kitchen including all chefs and dishwashers. On the other hand, the steward section is composed of all waiters and waitresses who are in charge of taking orders and serving food. Bartenders are also under the responsibility of the food and beverage manager.Apart from these responsibilities, the food and beverage manager must also work with the general manager to decide on the pricing of all items in the hotel's menu. In general, food and beverage managers must ensure that all the operations in the catering department contribute to the ultimate goal of providing not only the most delicious food or the most appealing facilities but the best kind of service as well.

Housekeeping: The Executive Housekeeper is responsible for all employees who work towards maintaining all rooms and the rest of the hotel facilities to make sure that everything is clean and tidy at all times. Under direct command of the Executive Housekeeper are floor supervisors who ensure that all rooms in their floor of responsibility are well-maintained. Other employees who are under the supervision of the Executive Housekeeper are the bays who are in charge of making beds and cleaning rooms, chamber boys and maids who clean the toilets and the shower areas, and the linen maids who collect and stock all sheets, towels, and napkins for laundry.

Front Office: The role of the Front Office Manager is vital to the hotel's existence because employees under this department are those first encountered by all guests. Apart from making sure that all reservations and room assignments are in order, they supervise receptionists, information clerks, reservation officers, bellboys and doormen. They must ensure that all employees under their supervision are not only efficient but polite and courteous as well.

Personality

A job in the hotel industry requires certain essential personality characteristics. An individual seeking employment in this dynamic sector needs excellent social skills. A pleasant personality, enthusiasm, discipline, a genuine interest in a customer's needs and a willingness and aptitude for public relations work are the basic traits employers watch out for in their applicants.

In addition to these basic personality traits, hotel managers must be highly business oriented and flexible and exhibit exceptional leadership skills. Managerial positions in hotels require excellent organization skills and the quick thinking and adaptive capabilities needed to handle the pressures of dealing with guests from vastly different cultures.

A career in the hotel industry can certainly be tough and demanding at times, but with the right personality, an individual will find this work rewarding and pleasurable.

Professional Courses

To pursue a career in hotel management, university courses that take 3 to 4 years are recommended. Among these courses commonly offered by Indian colleges and universities are 3 years Diploma in Hotel Management, 3 years in Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management, 3 years in Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality and Tourism Management, and 4 years in Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology.

In order to qualify for these courses, one must have a 12th or equivalent pass with a minimum aggregate performance of 50%.

Colleges, Institutions and Universities

Below are some of the popular choices among those who wish to pursue careers in hotel management:

Specialization

Post Graduation in Hotel Management Those who have graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management can pursue post graduate studies and obtain a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Administration. These post graduate studies usually take up to one year.

Career Prospects

Graduates of professional courses under this field are usually taken as trainees under the positions they apply for. While most graduates usually seek work in five star hotels or other private hotel chains, some find themselves seeking alternative employment avenues in restaurant management, cruise ship hotel management, institutional and industrial catering, club or bar management, airline catering and cabin services, or management of catering departments in banks and insurance houses.

Remunerations

Compensation can greatly differ because of the number of factors affecting it. The most significant factors include the size of the firm or organization, the location of the business, when the applicant graduated and his or her performance in school. However, below is the regular pay scale one can expect when seeking employment in hotel management: